


Exposition

by faerialchemist



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: (not first tho. third limited), Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Ghost, Alternate Universe - Mermaids, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Episode: s01e01 The Boy in the Iceberg, F/M, First Meetings, Fluff, Kataang Valentine's Bash, POV Katara (Avatar), Post-Canon, Romance, Soulmates, anyways katara and aang will always find each other and fall in love so that's on that, as you can see. this fic is a strange mixture, beginnings and endings, in conclusion: enjoy, katara is so in love with aang it's ridiculous, the author doesn't know what they're doing anymore, where to begin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-13 13:47:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29402913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/faerialchemist/pseuds/faerialchemist
Summary: Written for the Kataang Valentine's Bash on Tumblr with the prompt “Beginnings and Endings.““I don’t know. I just feel like… I was meant to find you.” She and Aang were destined to meet in any and every lifetime. Katara knew that to be true. No matter where, no matter when, no matter how.She and Aang would always find each other.
Relationships: Aang & Katara (Avatar), Aang/Katara (Avatar), Katara & Sokka (Avatar)
Comments: 25
Kudos: 42
Collections: Kataang Valentine's Bash 2021





	Exposition

Katara’s fingers were intertwined with Aang’s. His palm was warm against her own as they lay side by side on the beach, staring up at the bright stars dotting the infinite sky. The blanket beneath them prevented sand from finding its way into unwelcome openings of their clothes, but the rest of their midnight experience was unfiltered. The crash of waves beating against the shore filled Katara’s ears as the salty sea breeze laid claim to her face.

There was no place she’d rather be.

Aang hummed in contentment, scooting closer to Katara. They were all but joined at the hip by this point - not that Katara was complaining about their proximity. The warmth of her boyfriend’s body shielded her from the slight chill in the air. “You know,” he murmured, “earlier, I was thinking about -”

Perhaps because of the lateness of the night, or maybe from the exhaustion of the day, Katara laughed. “Oh no. You, thinking? The end of the world must be near.”

Aang scoffed. “First of all, rude. I don’t recall my name being Sokka.”

Katara snickered. Fair enough. She should have seen that gentle rib at her brother coming from a mile away, mostly because she would have seized the moment herself had their roles been reversed.

“Second, I didn’t defeat the Fire Lord five years ago next week for the world to end because I was _thinking_ too hard.”

An amused grin snuck onto Katara’s lips. “Of course. Forgive my hasty assumption.” She shifted on their blanket so her head rested against his shoulder. “But get to the point. What were you thinking about?”

Katara could see her boyfriend roll his eyes out the corner of her vision, and she bit her tongue to hold back another laugh. How was it her fault he was and had always been so easy to tease?

Aang tilted his head so it touched hers. “I was thinking about how lucky I am to have you.” His thumb traced spirals across her own. “The very first time we met, you saved me. If you hadn’t rescued me from the iceberg then, how different would today be?”

Now there was both a memory Katara would never forget and a timeline Katara never wanted to consider. A world without Aang, a world still wracked with war and dominated by the Fire Nation… No.

On the other hand, if Katara closed her eyes, she could relive the moment of their meeting with ease. It was as if she’d found him in that iceberg only yesterday.

“And you rescued me about a million times after that, too,” Aang continued with a chuckle. Katara squeezed his hand. “Ba Sing Se is what first comes to mind.” He exhaled slowly. “I just… I wouldn’t have been able to defeat Ozai - I wouldn’t have been able to do _anything_ if I hadn’t had your support.”

And if he hadn’t had her spirit water, Katara noted, amused, but she refrained from shattering her boyfriend’s moment.

Aang sighed, awestruck, and heat rose in Katara’s cheeks. “But yeah. I was thinking about how lucky I am that you’re in my life.”

Katara pushed her hair behind her ear with her free hand, a stronger gust from the sea having splayed it across her face. “I don’t think it was luck.”

Though she wasn’t looking at him, Katara could hear a frown in her boyfriend’s voice. “What do you mean?”

Katara hummed, pursing her lips. A fantastic question. What _did_ she mean? “I don’t know. I just feel like… I was meant to find you.” She and Aang were destined to meet in any and every lifetime. Katara knew that to be true. No matter where, no matter when, no matter how.

She and Aang would always find each other.

xXx

Katara was exhausted. As in, hadn’t-slept-all-night and hadn’t-gotten-her-coffee-that-morning _exhausted_. And for once, it wasn’t her own fault she was so tired. Well, at least regarding the actual lack of sleep. Not getting coffee was her own poor choice that she now deeply regretted. She should have sucked it up and accepted she’d be a few minutes late to class, because now time was winding down to Professor Jeong Jeong’s lecture and Katara’s head had started dropping to her desk twice already.

She was doomed. And it was all _Sokka’s_ fault.

Katara sighed, though the action soon transformed into a yawn. No, she was being unfair, letting her sleep deprivation manifest in the form of barely-checked rage. It wasn’t _entirely_ her brother’s fault.

Sokka had shown up at the doorstep of her apartment in tears the night before, only a half hour before the time Katara typically went to sleep. Apparently his longtime girlfriend - no, _ex_ -girlfriend - Suki had decided they needed a break from each other. Sokka had agreed with her, they’d peacefully split, and he’d taken it like a champ.

Until he hadn’t.

Katara, ever the loving and loyal and supportive younger sister, had gladly stayed up all night with her brother. She let him cry into her shoulder and complain about how he was better off without Suki before he cried into her shoulder again about how much he already missed Suki. And no, Katara did not regret this decision, because she loved her brother and wanted to be there for him. She hadn’t seen him so devastated since… well. It had been a long time.

Still. Katara’s love for her brother didn’t erase how exhausted she was now, in the present. Ugh. She knew she should have convinced him to turn in at dawn so they could have snagged an hour or two of sleep.

“Good morning, class,” Professor Jeong Jeong said, and Katara snapped her attention to the front of the room. She was _not_ going to fall asleep in her honors East Asian architecture class. Especially not today, when they were planning to discuss the Forbidden City, which was a conversation Katara had been eagerly awaiting because of her fascination with both the literal and figurative walls that divided it. 

“It looks like this is everyone we’ll have today.” Professor Jeong Jeong clicked forward a couple slides in his powerpoint. “Before we begin our discussion of the reading I had you do for today, I want to recap -”

“Wait! I’m here, I’m here!”

Katara glanced over her shoulder to see one of her classmates rush into the room, a cup of coffee clutched in his left hand. Aang, she was pretty sure his name was? He’d always seemed nice. Maybe as energetic as her brother, but nice nonetheless. And Katara was almost guaranteed to appreciate his thoughtful commentary in class, like when he’d pointed out the Buddhist influences in the architecture of the Juyong Gate.

Professor Jeong Jeong sighed. “Glad you could make it, Aang. Care to take your seat so I can begin class?”

“Of course, sir!”

Professor Jeong Jeong nodded before he began to summarize the points they’d addressed last time their class had met. Katara didn’t hear more than a word he said, however, as Aang had moved to sit next to _her_. Which was not his usual seat. He normally sat on the other side of the room, with some dark-haired boy who’d been a jerk to Katara on the very first day of class.

“Uh… hi?” she said as Aang gave her a brilliant smile. “Is there… something you need from me?”

Aang shook his head. “Nope! I just wanted to give you this.” He placed his cup of coffee on her desk, and Katara realized it was full. Full and untouched - the lid of the drink hadn’t even been broken into.

“Oh. Thank you,” she said, surprised. The check mark on the side of the cup labelled it as a caffè mocha. “But - why?” They’d never spoken before. At least not outside of class. Really, this conversation could be considered the first time she and Aang had properly met.

Katara suddenly wondered if she should be concerned about receiving a drink from a person who was no more than a casual acquaintance, if even that. It did not take her long to decide she was too tired to care. Besides, it was Aang. Maybe she didn’t _know_ him, per se, but he was probably the happiest-go-lucky guy to walk the Earth. She’d never seen him be anything other than kind to their classmates, even those with short tempers.

“Well, when I first came in, I noticed you didn’t have coffee today.”

Right. Katara had asked him a question. Listening to his explanation would be the smart thing to do.

“Which I thought was weird, because you always have a drink with you. Then I saw your head kind of drop like this” - Aang mimed his head falling to the table, and scarlet flooded Katara’s cheeks as she realized he’d caught her almost dozing off - “and I figured you had to be _really_ tired. Everyone knows how much you love this class, so…” He gestured to the cup. “I ran out and got you some coffee. That way you won’t miss anything from accidentally falling asleep.”

Katara stared at him. Surely it was impossible for a person - no, for a _college_ _student_ so inherently good to exist. But Aang didn’t disappear before her eyes, which meant their conversation was real and not some fever dream caused by her lack of sleep.

“Thank you,” she finally said. Ugh. She was still blushing. “This was… really kind of you.”

Aang shrugged. “It’s no big deal. Class is more fun when you’re awake.”

Katara’s heart fluttered in her chest.

Aang hesitated, and Katara noticed a familiar pink dust over his own cheeks. “Um. While I’m here, I was actually wondering if you might want to -”

“Aang, I believe I asked you to take _your_ seat, not to distract Katara.”

Aang jumped to his feet at their professor’s chastisement. “Yes, sir!”

“Good. Thank you.”

Katara winced, praying the moment hadn’t tarnished hers or Aang’s reputation. _Sorry_ , she mouthed to Aang, who simply shook his head.

“No worries!” He hesitated again, then squared his shoulders before rotating the coffee cup on her desk. For the first time, Katara noticed a phone number scribbled on the side. “To be continued?”

Katara couldn’t fight the grin that tugged at the corners of her lips. Okay, she liked this guy. “To be continued.”

~*~

They called him her imaginary friend. But Katara knew better. Yes, Aang was her friend, and had been so for five years in two weeks. He’d first appeared to her when she was three, and they’d been inseparable ever since. Except when she had to go to school, of course. And not _literally_ inseparable, since even when they were together… well, they couldn’t touch. So yes, Aang was her best friend.

But he wasn’t _imaginary_.

Then again, he wasn’t real, either. At least not in the physical sense.

Katara had at first theorized he was a ghost, given that she was the only one who could see or hear him and ghosts were known to appear only to specific people. But Aang was capable of interacting with certain parts of her world, most recently the cup of pens on her desk. He also didn’t have any memories of his time alive, even though he’d aged along with her through the years. Well, at least not any complete memories, since some were slowly returning in fragments. And everything Katara had researched about ghosts in her school’s library insisted they _couldn’t_ interact with the physical world but _could_ remember all of their previous life. And also they didn’t age.

So Aang wasn’t a ghost. At least not in the technical sense, since he blurred the lines of the boxes Katara would have to check off in order to officially consider him a ghost. He was… ‘something in-between life and death’ was the conclusion Katara had drawn. Hopefully closer to living than dead, because if she was honest, she wanted to - well, she wanted to meet Aang. As in, _really_ meet him. Not just see his figure floating above her bed.

“Hi, Katara!” Aang called as she entered her room and tossed her bookbag on the floor beneath her desk. “How was school?”

Katara sighed, dramatically collapsing onto her blue bean bag. “Boring. And I couldn’t find any new information about how to free you, either. I tried sneaking into the teen section of the library for a book cited in a journal I’d read” - her nose wrinkled in irritation - “but my teacher caught me after five minutes. I didn’t even have time to read the summary on the inside.”

Katara’s current theory was that Aang _was_ alive, but had been trapped between the realms of life and death. He’d gotten stuck somehow, so the way Katara saw it, there had to be a way to get him _un_ stuck, too. She was determined to figure out how to release him. Well, to release him at a faster rate than he seemed to be getting free already.

Katara tugged off her shoes. “Anyways. How was your day?”

Aang beamed at her. He was sitting cross-legged on - well, above - her bed. “New developments!” He reached behind his back to grab her pillow. “I can now touch this!”

Katara laughed as he tossed the pillow at her, batting it out the air before the cushion could hit her face. “And the first thing you do is weaponize it? I should have known.”

Aang shrugged, grinning. “A gift for me and a curse for you.”

“Ugh, don’t I know it.”

Over time, Aang had been able to interact with more and more aspects of their world. Again, Katara suspected whatever power was keeping him confined between the planes of life and death was weakening with time, but the process was _infinitely_ gradual. There was nothing she wanted more than to speed it up.

Of course, the selfish part of Katara hoped that once Aang was free, he would become part of _her_ world. Alive. That would allow them to meet properly. The other option was… not one she wanted to consider.

“Any new memories resurface while I was gone?” Katara asked, shifting on her beanbag to leave an open space beside her. Even since Aang had learned he could touch her beanbag, it had become his favorite place to rest. It was massive, which meant Katara didn’t mind sharing with him. Besides - his shoulder would just pass through her own.

Aang sighed as he slid - floated - off her bed. His feet ghosted through her slippers and a pair of socks she’d thrown down the day before. “Not really. Just the same temple on fire.”

Katara nodded. “Did you hear the voices again?” Last time Aang had remembered the burning temple, there’d been people in the background. People talking, not screaming. He hadn’t been able to distinguish much from the muted sounds, but maybe now -

“Not this time,” Aang said glumly. He collapsed onto the beanbag next to her. “I thought I could hear someone at first, but then I realized -” He cut himself off, body stiffening.

Katara opened her mouth to ask what was wrong before their situation hit her like a sledgehammer.

Aang was _touching_ her, his shoulder pressed firmly against her own. And that?

That had never happened before.

“Okay,” Katara whispered after a pause. Aang’s eyes were as wide as her favorite CDs. “This is new.”

Aang nodded, though no words escaped his lips when he opened his mouth to speak. He snapped his jaw shut.

Normally, Katara would experience a slight chill whenever Aang’s shoulder passed through her own. Like a tickle dancing down her spine. But now, there was warmth. Not the same warmth as someone alive, she noted, like Sokka or her father. Aang’s touch was more akin to the quiet warmth of sipping tea that had finally cooled enough to drink.

It was… nice.

Aang began pulling away, but Katara grabbed his wrist. It was strange enough being able to grab him in the first place, but she tightened her grip nonetheless.

“It’s okay,” she stammered. “You - You don’t have to get up.”

A beat passed. Aang lowered himself next to her once more.

Katara hesitated, then slipped her hand into his. She couldn’t… She couldn’t quite understand what compelled her to do such a thing, but the bashful smile Aang gave her in response removed all doubt from her mind.

Huh. Maybe _this_ was her chance to finally meet Aang. A way for her to interact with him before he was freed from his life-and-death limbo.

Katara decided she liked the change.

~*~

There was a new hero in town. In _Katara’s_ town. ‘The Avatar,’ he’d called himself as he made a name in her home. And Katara already knew she wouldn’t be able to stand this man. Why? Well, the reason was quite simple.

This _Avatar_ hadn’t bothered with a secret identity.

She’d seen him on TV numerous times, smiling and waving after some daring rescue with a stupid grin on his face. Perhaps his grin was charming, too - not that Katara would admit so aloud - but nonetheless it was an expression far more irritating than not. The Avatar’s _real_ name was Aang, and his sky blue arrows made his identity easily distinguishable from every civilian in her town. Katara was more than intelligent enough to put two and two together - ‘Aang’ was clearly into heroics for the glory. He wanted people to sing his praises from the rooftops and boost his overinflated ego even higher. And that?

_That_ pissed Katara off to no end.

She had been the Painted Lady for fifteen years and counting, protecting her people by night and serving them as a social worker and substitute teacher by day. She’d done all of this _without_ citizens gleaning her true identity, and in fact she considered herself better off with the secrecy. So who did this guy think he was, prancing around with his real name all but scribbled across his forehead?!

Well. His identity was certainly _tattooed_ across his forehead.

Nonetheless, as much as Katara suspected she would despise the man upon meeting him, she could not deny that she was grateful for his assistance in protecting her home. She was yet to encounter him on her nightly patrols - though she suspected it was only a matter of time - but she appreciated how he recognized the areas she couldn’t cover and watched over them himself.

The Avatar was probably horrifically arrogant, Katara concluded, but at least he seemed to have a lick of common sense.

Of course, while Katara did consider her meeting with the Avatar inevitable, she’d more been hoping their paths would cross briefly and coincidentally during patrol. Not that the man would be _waiting_ for her at her first stop of the night: a back alley behind a hotel.

The first thing Katara noticed were his tattoos, which were somehow more electric blue than film had depicted them to be. The arrows seemed to glow in the silver moonlight. The second thing she noticed was how _tall_ the man was. Photographs had not done his height justice. The third thing she noticed was that he was -

Bowing to her?

“Painted Lady,” he said, and Katara snapped to attention, “it is an honor to finally meet you in person. I have always admired your work, and it was actually your rescue at Jang Hui twelve years ago that inspired me to don a hero identity myself.”

Right. Jang Hui was the event that had brought Katara to greater renown amongst heroes. Or amongst vigilantes, as her commitment to a secret identity occasionally had her dubbed.

“I also wish to learn from you, if you will allow my company,” the Avatar continued. His voice had an earnest lilt to it that had _not_ , in any way, shape, or form, made Katara’s heart skip a beat. “This is your home, first and foremost, and it is a privilege I’m even allowed to help you defend it.”

He… wanted her help. To _learn_ from her. He hadn’t tried to wrestle control from her or challenge her authority or -

Well, shit.

It seemed her assumptions about him had been _completely_ off-base. Ugh - now guilt was making its unhelpful presence known in the pit of her stomach.

“I appreciate your kind words, Avatar,” Katara said, straightening her shoulders, “and I also appreciate the excellent job you have done in taking care of my home so far.” She hesitated. “Um. You - don’t have to keep bowing.”

The Avatar stood upright, and Katara pretended she wasn’t blushing scarlet the same shade as her facepaint because of how he towered over her. And also at how defined the muscles of his bare arms were.

“Does this mean you’re willing to teach me?” The Avatar gestured around them. “About the ways of your home, I mean. Dos and don’ts. Particular spots to keep an eye on.”

Katara bit the inside of her cheek. Although he’d never _know_ how unfair her initial impression of him had been… Well, showing him the ropes was the least she could do. And at least then she could get to know him outside of her callous assumptions. “It would be my pleasure, Avatar.”

He gave her a crooked grin that did not, not at all, set her heart aflutter. “You can call me Aang, you know.”

Katara raised an eyebrow, unsure if calling him by his real name while she donned her Painted Lady persona would be considered unprofessional. But he - _Aang_ \- said nothing further, so she nodded. “Okay. Aang.” Unable to resist the temptation, Katara gave him a sly smirk. “Maybe one day I’ll allow you to refer to me by name, too.”

Aang burst out laughing. “I can’t wait!”

Strangely, Katara couldn’t, either.

~*~

“Katara, stop bringing home junk from the humans!”

“It is _not_ junk,” Katara said crossly, cradling the pink carnation to her chest. An air bubble surrounding the flower protected it from the saltwater that would have otherwise destroyed it. “They’re all _gifts_.” She smirked at her brother. “You’re just jealous because the humans don’t like you.”

Sokka glowered at her, his tail whipping behind him in irritation. “No, I just stay away from the humans like Dad _tells_ us to!” He crossed his arms over his chest. “Your human doesn’t even know who you are.”

Heat rushed to Katara’s cheeks. “He does, too!” Well, maybe he didn’t know her name, because she’d never let the boy catch more than a glimpse of her tail - much less had she _spoken_ to him - but that wasn’t the point. The boy didn’t need to know her. They left each other a small gift on the flat rock in the lagoon at the end of every week! That meant they were friends, right?

Sokka rolled his eyes. “He’s just using you for cool underwater trinkets, Katara. He doesn’t actually care about you -”

“Shut up, Sokka!” Katara turned away from her brother, swimming furiously to her bedroom. Sokka didn’t know what he was talking about. If the human boy just wanted ‘cool underwater trinkets’ from her, why would he take the time to leave such beautiful items in return? He wouldn’t! But he did, therefore Sokka was wrong. The boy cared about her. Katara knew he did.

Once in her room, Katara placed the bubble-encased carnation next to the other flowers the boy had given her. She kept one shelf reserved just for them. Ooh, maybe he had a garden and that was why he was able to give her so many different kinds! A pink rose, a yellow snapdragon, a scarlet fire lily - together with many more, her flowers made a strange yet beautiful bouquet.

The shelf beneath the flowers contained other trinkets the boy had left for her. Green marbles, rhinestone jewelry, tinker toys, and just about every other tiny item known to humans. Known almost _solely_ to humans, rarely merfolk, hence why Katara guarded them so preciously.

One day, she would work up the courage to talk to the boy. Her father said the earliest he would allow her to interact with humans was when she was 13, but that was _so far_ away. Katara didn’t plan on waiting that long. Besides, the boy looked to be about her age, so what difference would speaking to him a few years before her father gave her permission _actually_ make?

The next time Katara swam into the lagoon, she caught another glimpse of the boy. Of course, she saw him far more often than he did her. As per usual, he was with an older man, and even through the water she could hear them laughing as they headed back towards their home. Katara waited an extra minute to be sure they were gone, then swam over to the flat rock near the shore to see what her friend had left for her.

“Ooh,” she breathed, picking up the silver object. It was a hair clip, the jewelled panda lily design resting atop it adding a certain flair that Katara appreciated. She hummed as she attached the clip to the end of her braid before placing down her own gift in exchange - a whale ivory bracelet. It had originally been intended for Sokka, but once they’d realized it was too small, they’d given it to Katara. Of course, her father had probably meant for her to add it to her collection of knick knacks, but what he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him.

Katara smiled as she staged the bracelet in a more elegant fashion. She hoped the boy would like it.

When Katara returned the next week, the bracelet was gone, but nothing had taken its place. She wasn’t worried at first, as every now and then the boy and the old man didn’t make their weekly trip to the lagoon. But there was nothing on the stone the next week. Or the week after.

The fourth time Katara came back empty-handed, Sokka confronted her.

“I told you, Katara. He was just using you.”

Katara ignored him. She couldn’t - she _refused_ to believe her brother. Something… Something had to be wrong with the boy. He would never abandon her. They were friends, even if they’d never - even if she hadn’t dared -

They were friends.

The fifth time Katara returned, the rock was no longer empty. But instead of a new item resting atop it, the boy himself sat there, causing her to freeze at the edge of the lagoon.

He was… alone, Katara realized after a beat had passed. The older man who usually accompanied him was nowhere to be found.

The boy’s legs were clutched to his chest, his face buried in his knees. When she was certain the boy hadn’t noticed her arrival, Katara swam closer and heard… crying?

_Oh, no_.

She’d been right, as much as she wished she hadn’t been Something was wrong, something _bad_ had happened to him, and she - she was the only one who could help him! Katara had to do something. This boy was her friend. She couldn’t just sit and watch him be in pain -

Without thinking, or maybe because she’d been thinking too much, Katara pushed her body out of the water and positioned herself on the edge of their flat rock, tail skimming over the lagoon’s surface. Her braid swung forward over her shoulder, the panda lily on her clip hitting her collarbone as she exclaimed, “Are you okay?”

The boy jumped, lifting his head from his knees to reveal that his face was streaked with tears. A beat passed before his gaze dropped to her shoulder, eyes widening.

Katara glanced down, unsure what he was - oh.

She lifted her braid, water droplets trickling off the clip and splashing back into the lagoon. “I wear it every day.”

The boy stared at her. “You’re…” He clutched his left wrist, and Katara realized he was wearing the ivory bracelet she’d left so many weeks ago.

She nodded. “My name is Katara.”

“Katara,” he repeated. His face dusted over with pink. “That’s a beautiful name.”

Katara was certain her own cheeks were a similar color. “Thank you.”

“I’m Aang,” he said after a pause.

_Aang_. Katara decided she liked his name, too. But when she opened her mouth to tell him so, different words came out. “You never answered my question. Are you okay?”

The boy - Aang - inhaled a shaky breath. “No.” He wiped his eyes. “But… I’m better, I think. Now that you’re here.”

Katara blinked. A gentle smile slipped onto her lips. “It’s so nice to finally meet you, Aang.”

~*~

The iceberg glowed a more brilliant shade of blue than Katara had ever seen before. Which was saying a lot, because Katara had seen celestial lights from the South Pole numerous times, and they were about as ethereal as the mortal world could get.

The glaring glow began to fade. Katara squinted at the sphere before biting back a shriek as she realized what, exactly, the mysterious iceberg contained.

_A person._

A boy, maybe? It was difficult to discern much of the person’s figure amidst the electric glow, even as it was dimming. But if Katara had to guess, they _seemed_ like -

The boy’s eyes flew open, burning with the same blue light that surrounded him. Katara couldn’t hold back her gasp.

“He’s alive! We have to help!”

Ignoring Sokka’s cry of protest, Katara grabbed her brother’s club from its sheath on his back before running across the frozen sea towards the floating iceberg. _One foot at a time. Keep your balance, watch your step. You’ve got this._

She pulled her hood over her head, readying herself to leap across the smaller fragments of ice shifting in the current before her. Was she really going to risk a dip in freezing water to save this strange boy?

Yes, Katara realized. Her grip tightened on her brother’s club. It wasn’t even a question.

“Katara, get back here!” she heard Sokka yell. “We don’t know what that _thing_ is!”

Katara disregarded his command, steeling herself before hopping across the floating chunks of ice. She stumbled twice but managed to keep her footing as she landed on solid ground before the iceberg. Without a moment’s hesitation, Katara lifted her brother’s club and drove it into the massive sphere. She yanked it out before smashing the weapon into the ice again. And again. And again. And -

The club cracked through the iceberg.

Seconds later, it exploded.

Wind as violent as a mid-winter blizzard whipped over the area, and Katara couldn’t contain her terrified shriek as she was thrown backwards.

“I’ve got you!” Sokka shouted, and Katara clung to her brother’s side as tightly as he did her while the iceberg destroyed itself in front of them. A beam of blue light blazed out the top, and Katara wasn’t sure if her ensuing shivers were from the biting gusts or the wave of energy that rippled across the area like lightning flickering over her skin.

When the wind began to die down, Sokka’s grip around Katara slackened, though she remained glued to his side as they got to their feet and surveyed their surroundings.

The iceberg was now completely hollow. The gaping hole in the center still emitted the same blue glow, albeit even more dimmed than before. There was an echoing _crunch_ , and Sokka pointed his spear in the direction of the sound.

A small gasp escaped Katara’s lips as the shadow of a person stepped to the forefront of the opening. Was it the boy she’d seen before? The one trapped inside?

The figure took a step closer to them, their eyes still aglow with brilliant blue light. Their forehead was glowing, too, Katara realized, and the light almost resembled… an arrow?

The person stumbled, the blue light blinking out. He _was_ just a boy, Katara realized, and he was -

_Falling!_

The boy’s knees buckled beneath him, and without thinking Katara sprinted forward to catch him before he could tumble face-first into the icy water. She ignored her brother’s hiss of frustration as she gently lowered the mysterious boy onto a snowbank - slightly softer than a slab of ice, at least.

Sokka poked the boy’s head with the blunt end of his spear, and Katara swatted the weapon away. “Stop it!”

Closer inspection revealed the boy to be about her age, Katara noted as she dusted ice fragments from his clothes. Maybe a little younger? His skin was also flushed with cold, but Katara was far more distracted by the blue arrow that pointed down the center of his forehead. Even though it was no longer glowing, the design was nothing like the tribal tattoos she was familiar with. She wondered if -

The boy opened his eyes, and Katara held her breath as his gaze met hers.

Huh. His eyes were… gray? True gray, too, not the pale blue that some of the kids from her village liked to pretend was gray. Katara wasn’t normally a fan of such an… ashen color, but she decided they suited this boy. Or perhaps she was simply flattered by the reverence with which he stared at her.

“I need to ask you something.”

Katara blinked, realizing the boy had addressed her. “What?”

“Please,” he murmured. “Come closer.”

Katara leaned in immediately, not considering until long after the fact that it was probably not the smartest idea to get within the personal space of strangers, particularly those who had fallen out of glowing icebergs.

Then again, Katara supposed, this boy didn’t _feel_ like a stranger. Not to her.

“What is it?” she asked.

The boy blinked, then beamed at her. The expression sent elation soaring through Katara’s chest. “Will you go penguin sledding with me?”

“Uh… sure?” Katara hadn’t gone penguin sledding since she was a kid. “I - I guess?” Something about this boy told her she was going to experience the activity in a way she never had before, though. But still…

Who _was_ this kid?

The boy’s grin widened at her acceptance, and a smile unwittingly broke out across Katara’s lips in return.

Maybe she didn’t know who he was. But she couldn’t wait to find out.

xXx

Aang chuckled. “‘Meant to find me’? That’s a pretty romantic perspective.”

Katara shrugged. “I’m a romantic person.” Not to mention that she was right, of course. She and Aang were… bound by a force greater than themselves, connected by some invisible thread forever pulling them together. 

“Well, if we’re always meant to find each other…” Aang touched his head against hers. “Do you think you’ll find me in my next life?”

Katara stiffened at the unexpected question. How was she supposed to interpret that? “Why?” She sat up ramrod straight to stare down at her boyfriend. “Aang, is there something you haven’t -”

She was interrupted by Aang’s laughter. He shook his head as he, too, sat up. “No, no, I’m fine.” Aang slipped both of his hands into her own. “I’m okay. Not trying to brace you for anything.”

Katara exhaled her relief in a single, sharp breath. She would have killed him if he’d sprung bad news on her like _that_. There were so many things they hadn’t finished yet. Restoration of the Air Temples and the Southern Water Tribe, investigating the rumors about a herd of wild sky bison, and maybe… maybe one day starting a family.

Of course, Katara had quickly learned that with Aang, there would _always_ be something they hadn’t finished. Every day was another project, something else to start. Ending simply to begin again.

“I meant speaking in _general_ ,” he continued, giving her hands a gentle squeeze. “You found me in this life when you rescued me from the iceberg.” A teasing smile quirked at his lips. “So, if you were meant to find me then, do you think you’ll find me in my next life, too?”

Katara paused.

_Do you really think friendships can last more than one lifetime?_

_I don’t see why not._

“Gyatso found you,” she finally said. “He found Roku _in_ you.” She freed one of her hands to cup her boyfriend’s face, thumbing over the top of his cheekbone. “So yes. I will find you in your next life.” Katara would find Aang, and she would find Aang _in_ them, too.

Aang must have understood both implications of her phrase, because he leaned in to capture her lips with his, an action Katara didn’t hesitate to return.

“You know I love you, right?” Aang murmured, so close to Katara that his lips brushed hers again as he spoke, almost in imitation of a chaste kiss. “I wouldn’t be here without you.”

Katara laughed, and she didn’t care if the sound was a little watery. “Of course I know that.” She pressed a kiss to the tip of his nose. “It’s always been you and me. From beginning to end.” Every time, every place, every person. They’d find their way to each other.

Katara closed her eyes as Aang pressed another kiss to her lips, one with more fire than its predecessors, the kind of kiss that would make Katara’s heart jump no matter how long they’d been together. And if Katara had anything to say about it, she and Aang would be together until time itself forced them apart.

It would end, as it had begun, with Aang by her side.

Katara couldn’t wait to spend the rest of her life with him.


End file.
